Hurt
by Ohmiya SK
Summary: [Based on the song Hurt, sung by Johnny Cash. Roycentric. Mild movie spoilers.] Time had done to Roy what the Ishbal war had done. Broken him.


It seems like I'm on a song based spree. This one is based on Hurt, sung by Johnny Cash and is placed right in the movie. I mean that. Yeah, I copied the conversation between Havoc, Roy and Breda strait from the subbed version, save for a few edits I made.

* * *

The room was dark, cold and dingy. The only light that lit it was that of a candle, now down to such a small size, that it was surprising that the light hadn't gone out. On one side of the room, the table on which the candle rested sat, dark and looming like a large boulder in near pitch black in the dull light. The light of the candle barely illuminated the face of the man sitting at the desk, a blade in one hand. 

Roy Mustang winced as he felt the blade of the knife cut into his arm, fracturing a blood vein; blood bubbling up around the knife. As he watched the blood flow down his arm only to freeze from the low temperature outside, his head fell to his desk; his undamaged eye closing with a sigh.

Could anyone see him, Roy Mustang would have looked hopeless, full of sorrow and dead. It had been nearly two years since Al had returned in human form, and two years since Ed had gone beyond the gate. Time had done to Roy what the Ishbal war had done. Broken him; and this time, there was no Hughes to pull him back from the brink of death; no Ed to let out his frustration on through teasing.

Glancing at the photo of himself and Ed on his desk, Roy managed to get to his feet; only to stumble over to a cabinet to grab a bottle of whiskey. Sitting back down in his chair, Roy moved the photo so that it was in front of him.

"What have I become?" He whispered to himself as he opened the bottle, putting it to his mouth, allowing the liquid to enter his mouth, allowing it down his throat. It burned, not unlike the fire that he controlled, wielded in his defense.

Roy could just imagine what Ed would say if he had heard that, if he could see Roy this way. "Mustang; what the hell are you doing, acting like this? I thought you were better than this, you lazy dog."

He smirked as he though he heard the door open and then close quietly. He could heat the footfalls, like those of wet boots in the silence, one step louder than the other.

"Colonel Bastard," Roy's eye widened as he turned to face the figure standing next to his desk. Golden hair, golden eyes and a brilliant red coat, it was Edward.

"Full . . . Metal?" Roy managed to choke out, reaching up to Ed's face, only to have his hand pass through. Ed's eyes softened as he put one of his hands on Roy's shoulder.

"Yes, and no," He said, removing his hand so as to grab a chair to sit on. Sitting down, he continued. "I'm part of Ed, the part that was left here. I'm here to comfort you, before I return," Roy wished dearly that he could grab onto Ed, that he could grab onto what little remained of the life he had once known. "If you wish to speak, then do."

Roy's legendary wall was starting to crumble, starting to fall down, opening up a way for all the tears he had never shed, never felt a need to let fall. "Ed . . . ward," He whispered, his head falling to his desk. "What have I become, my friend?"

Ed understood what Roy was saying, what he was feeling. "Colonel," Ed's eyes drifted to the wound on Roy's arm, his eye widening. "What the hell are you doing! You idiot!" Ed's fist connected to Mustang's cheek, startling the man, who fell out of his chair.

"Ed… ward…" Roy gasped, placing a hand on his cheek, wincing as he felt the cut reopen. Ed lowered his hand, allowing it to hang weakly at his side. He sat back down is his chair as Roy managed to pull himself up. "What was. . ."

Ed glared at Roy. "What was that for? Idiot. I hate seeing you injur-" Ed stopped mid sentence, his hand flying to his mouth in shock as Roy's eye widened. It was then that the phone rang; cutting through the silence that now loomed between the two, like a dark cloud.

Roy picked the phone up, "Roy Mustang speaking," His eye reverted to its normal state as he listened to whomever was talking to him. "I understand. I'll be waiting," He put the phone back down, turning to Ed, who was regarding him curiously. "Lieutenant Havoc and Lieutenant Breda are coming out in a few hours," He explained. Ed nodded, suddenly wincing as he clutched his chest. "Edward!"

Ed looked up, the grimace noticeable on his face. "It looks like… my time is up," He gasped, slowly starting to fade. "I hope to see you again," With that, Ed disappeared before Roy could even get to him. He fell to the ground, tears now flowing freely down his face.

Looking to the heavens, Roy asked the one question that had been on his mind for the last two years. "Why did it have to turn out this way?

A few hours later, Havoc and Breda appeared and looked around, not seeing Roy anywhere. "Colonel!" Havoc yelled, looking around, "Where are you Colonel!" The two heard snow falling off of a figure and turned to look at the building, seeing Roy standing there, covered in snow from head to foot.

"Lieutenants Havoc andBreda, thank you for coming all the way out here." Roy said, saluting. He opened the door for the two and they entered the building. As Havoc and Breda sat down, Roy lit a fire, before sitting down across from them. A cloud of silence loomed between before Breda attempted to break it.

"It's good to see you doing well," Breda said; but it didn't help. Roy looked down for a minute before he responded.

"Please don't be so formal," He responded. "I'm a police officer," Havoc suddenly grinned, finally having a chance to get back at Mustang after all those years.

"Really?" Havoc inquired, looking surprised, "Then Corporal Mustang…" All that resulted in for Havoc was an elbow to the stomach courtesy of Breda; who had noticed how Mustang looked.

"It's like you, Colonel, to choose such a rural area," Breda said, his grip on the cup he was holding growing slightly tighter. Both Havoc and Breda were surprised when Roy answered.

"But I'm doing what I can for the country in my own way," He responded, his eye still focused on his interlocked hands. Silence reigned for the next few minutes until Havoc pulled a cigarette out of his pocket. Before he could get a match as well, Roy pulled out his own pack of matches and lit the cigarette for him. Breda and Havoc were surprised at what he did.

"Colonel…"

Roy sat back down and threw the match into the fireplace. "I haven't used alchemy once since that day," He said, noticing the shocked looks on the other men's faces.

"The Flame Alchemist?" Breda said, astonished that even Roy, who was the worst pyro he knew, had given up his fire.

The look of sorrow on Roy's face only increased. "When I try to, I see those who have passed away due to my foolishness," He raised his hand to touch his eye patch. "This eye…"

Later as Havoc and Breda were leaving, they turned to look back at Roy's new residence, seeing him just standing there, staring out into space. "We should have invited Lieutenant Hawkeye as well," Breda said, feeling the cold wind whip snow at his face.

"The lieutenant wouldn't have come," Havoc responded, his back facing the wind, "She wouldn't want to see the Colonel like that," As he turned to continue walking, he said one last thing. "Plus, I feel as if the person Colonel is waiting for isn't the Lieutenant."

"Then who is it?" Breda asked. Havoc didn't respond, only continued walking, making it so that Breda had to run to catch up to him.

As Roy continued to look out at the snow covered wasteland, he said a few last words as the storm grew even worse. "If I could start again; a million miles away. I would keep myself. I would find a way."


End file.
